Face of the Day

A woman whose home was gutted by burglars who ripped copper pipes from the walls lost far more than metal, with thieves also taking sentimental pieces she had collected with her late husband.

Clifton Yates and his associates not only caused $30,000 in damage to the woman’s stripped-out house but took a cherished jazz CD collection and antique furniture built up over decades.

Now, the recidivist burglar has been jailed for more than two years after he appeared for sentencing in the Whangārei District Court on a burglary charge and receiving property.

At about 1.30am on May 15, 2026, Yates and others unknown cut through a wire fence at the property and reversed a rented furniture truck inside.

They went through the house, ripping out drywall to reach copper wiring, then loaded kayaks, a dishwasher, roof screws, a dinghy and 10kg of copper into the truck.

At 7.30am, a neighbour saw the truck outside and contacted the owner, who confirmed it should not be there. [...]

At the time of the 2025 burglary, Yates had just served a sentence of home detention for other burglaries and was still subject to release conditions.

The court heard Yates had breached his home detention multiple times, including being absent from the address three times in one month.

Yates was sentenced to two years and nine months’ imprisonment.

NZ Herald